Civil Blood
by Genesis Rose
Summary: Terror shone in his eyes like the pale moon in a black velvet sky. He knew there was no escape. There is only one thing more intimate than love. And that is death. My prey knows this, for he is about to experience this very thing.
1. Chapter 1

_THIRST._

That was all I could think, consumed with the lust that made my limbs numb with weakness, reduced my mind to an animalistic instinctive behavior.

Thick, opaque clouds congested the greenish sky, tall trees accenting the scenery with their sick limbs, stretching heavenward, like crippled fingers reaching out to snatch a newborn child from his mother's arms.

Where was I? Not that it mattered…

I collapsed to the ground, reduced to a quivering mass of flesh on the ground. Dried, dead leaves cushioned my cheek.

My fevered eyes closed, my senses dulled. I was more in a state of unconsciousness than a state of sleep.

The next feeling I was aware of was hands on me, brushing over my skin, and then searching, as if trying to find something. Then the hands grasped my shoulders, and rolled me onto my back. My eyes snapped open, and even before they focused on my prey, I attacked.

A blur of motion, I sprang to my feet, launching myself at the human that had been crouched over me. The first thing my mind had done was analyze the situation. I'd lost the preferred element of surprise I usually used; attacking prey while they were yet unaware of my presence. In this case, to gain the upper hand, I would have to be as swift as possible, and though clearly visible from the start, move abruptly enough to catch the prey off guard.

But I'd forgotten my weakness.

I panicked the instant my body crashed into the human's; my leap had not been nearly as forceful as I'd intended; it was hardly enough to knock him over.

I quickly reeled back, dropping into a crouch several feet from the human. It was then that I managed to see him properly for the first time.

Though struggling to regain his balance from being attacked, I could see the human was in his late twenties by human standards, tall, with dark brown hair, nearly black. His skin was quite pale, as if he avoided being caught in the sunlight, and it gave off an eerie blue glow in the light of the moon overhead. His eyes, now flicking upward to stare at me, were a fierce blue-green, like the sky before a storm.

He rose to his full height, blinking, still looking at me- not fearfully, but curiously- and raised his dark brows.

"Well," he said simply, "That was unexpected." Then he drew a knife.

My eyes narrowing into slits, I hissed threateningly, my body coiling, preparing to spring at him again.

"Now, now…" he murmured, his eyes flicking over me calculatingly. "All I want is your valuables. Any coins you have, and your jewelry, if you have any. Hand it over nicely, and maybe I won't hurt you."

Ignoring his words and the knife, I leapt at him again. I tackled him to the ground this time, trying to pin him down, but he recovered quickly, slashing the blade across my shoulder, tearing open the flesh underneath the tattered grey tunic I wore.

A feral scream of pain and anger flew past my lips, half the motivation behind the outcry fear of the disadvantage I'd put myself in. Weariness already dragged at my body, slowing my thinking and letting my unpredictable instincts overtake my mind.

It seemed like an instant later, the man had flipped me onto my back, pinning me to the ground as I'd intended to pin him, his knife hovering just above my neck, poised.

"Now," he said. "Are you ready to hand over your possessions? I'm a thief- I have to make a living _somehow_…"  
I stilled, my eyes staring up at him, two rage-filled orbs of fire.

"I own nothing," I hissed finally, no other way to get myself out of the situation.

He raised an eyebrow. "Nothing?" His grip on me grew lax, as if he were disappointed by my answer.

I saw my chance and wriggled quickly out from underneath him. He was on his feet before I could manage another attempt of attack, and I contemplated in that instant whether or not to turn and flee in search of easier prey, but this time, he was the one who initiated the attack.

Diving at me, he grabbed my arm and flung me forcefully to the ground. I quickly rolled off the momentum he gave me, staggered a bit, but managed to end up in a low crouch.

He circled around me, and I followed him movement, analyzing his every move, struggling to maintain my mind in order to renew my waning strength.

"An interesting thing," he said, his voice almost accusing. "A girl, in the middle of the forest, appearing as though dead, and then attacking one who could perhaps help her."

"Help me? Or rob me?" It was my turn to sound accusing, but I couldn't help but suppress a smile. Oh, he could help me, all right. But perhaps not in the way he expected.

He shook his head, and then feigned a lunge at me.

I instinctively tensed, baring my teeth at him.

He froze, staring at me, eyes wide in disbelief.

I knew instantly what he must have seen; my two canine teeth- longer than the rest of my teeth and pointed to a razor-sharp tip- lethal, deadly.

"Vampire," he whispered in realization. He took a half step forward, as if transfixed at the sight of me. I stood still. Would he perhaps give me his blood willingly?

But this, too, was a ruse. He abruptly snapped out of his haze, seized my wrist, and twisted it sharply. I felt the bone snap under the pressure, and I screamed as pain shot like fire up my arm, numbing the limb. I collapsed to my knees, the weakness plaguing my stronger than ever. The man wrestled me to the ground.

I tried to throw him off me with my good arm and my legs, twisting my torso, writhing, trying desperately to injure him as my senses faded into thoughtless destruction.

The taste of blood revived me. I realized that somehow I'd managed to bite into his forearm, drawing blood. He was desperately trying to shake me off, his face, coated in sheen of sweat, was a mask of pain and growing anger. I merely bit down harder, warm blood flowing past my lips. Ah, sweet regeneration. Soon all my strength would be restored.

Suddenly there were hands around my neck, fingers digging cruelly into my skin, yanking me backward. What? A second person?

The human man threw me roughly to the ground as I was torn from his arm, leaving blood trailing down his pale skin. The hands around my neck threw me to the ground. The man leapt atop me to keep me pinned. I never had the chance to use my refurbished strength.

Searing pain unleashed itself throughout my side as the blade of his knife tore through me. I cried out, and then stilled, painfully aware of my defeat as he held the knife poised above me. For a moment, all was still. I stared straight up at the sky dotted with silvery stars, not breathing; half hoping my time of death was finally upon me.

"There must be some kind of payment you can give me in return for your life, vampire." His voice was tight, yet somehow calculating. He drew in his breath in deep gasps. At least I could allow myself the satisfaction of tiring him out. A drop of blood dripped off his arm and splashed warm and oozing onto my neck.

I said nothing.

The tip of the man's knife pressed against my throat. I flattened myself to the ground, trying to avoid the sinister touch of the blade, but it was omnipresent.

"Don't kill it, Walker." My eyes flicked up to my captor. _Walker._ He stared down at me expressionlessly, his dark hair plastered to his forehead. I switched my gaze to his companion.

Though similarly tall and dark haired, the female did not seem to be related to Walker. Her features were distinctly different, of no resemblance to his.

"Come on, vampire girl," Walker persisted. "Name the price you're going to pay for me allowing you to remain alive."

"I own nothing," I managed to spit out, a repeat of my previous words. I hated how pitiful my voice sounded.

"Oh? I think you do. Your life, at the moment. Give me your servitude, and I'll let you keep your miserable blood-sucking life."

"_No._" The word passed my lips in a feral hiss.

"This is my last time asking politely. Don't make me resort to torture."

"Kill me instead!" I growled venomously.

Walker laughed. "That only makes me want your servitude even more. Tell me."

"No!"

He laid the edge of his blade against the flesh of my stomach, and then watched silently as I forced back an agonized scream of pain as the metal sliced easily through my skin. He pressed his hand down on the wound, and then twisted the ripped skin viciously with his fingers.

This time a screech ripped from my mouth, echoing eerily through the silent night air of the forest.

"Well?"

I could not answer past the searing pain in my skull, and I realized a horrible high-pitched keening noise was passing my lips, roiling up from deep inside my body.

"Stop!" I finally whimpered.

Walker withdrew the pressure from my throbbing torso almost immediately.

"What is it?"

"Blood bond," I gasped out. "Make a blood bond."

"And how do I do that?"

"Just say it!" My voice was barely recognizable as even remotely human.

"Tell me what to say." Walker's voice was harsh and demanding.

"Say you want to form a blood bond… say who is master… who is slave… make it as thorough as possible…"

I couldn't remember what happened next very clearly. I only remember that Walker began to speak, his voice a humming, droning noise that set shivers of dread running down my body, which tingled like the sun was beating cruelly down on my skin, even though the moon was high in the sky by this time.

Then next thing I knew, Walker had my head in his hands, shoving my mouth to his neck.

The thought of resisting never crossed my mind at the time- I bit gratefully into his flesh, drawing in mouthfuls of his sickly sweet human blood.

One sip would have been enough to revive me and heal my wounds of the damage he'd done, but I was horrible thirsty, and I drank greedily. Maybe I would never stop.

"Walker!" His companion's voice was alarmed.

"Get away! Run!" Walker gasped out; a tremor running through his body at the pain the movement of his words caused him. "I'll find you later." I laced my arms around his shoulders, preparing to suck the life from his body,

but-

My fangs retracted from his skin, and I fell away limply, suddenly dizzy.

Walker collapsed beside me, and abruptly lost consciousness.

And then I did as well.


	2. Chapter 2

When I came to, I was lying on my back, staring up past the canopy of the forest trees.

The sky was just passing dusk, the sun's blinding glare bleeding red across the west, tainting the sky in one last outcry before vanishing into the earth's depths. Stars pricked the sky like needles piercing skin, drawing white blood in the inky, blackening sky. Beautiful. I sighed softly.

"That's right, Vampire. Relax. Relaxing never hurt anyone."

No.

Oh no.

"And as long as you obey me, I won't hurt you either. But if you disobey me… that's quite another story."

I flinched, horror rising within me as I pulled myself into a seated position, suddenly feeling terribly small.

_Blood bond._

"It's a strange thing, power…" Walker murmured, smiling a bit as I turned to face him, my stance wary. He was sitting not far from me, leaning against a tree, whetting a knife slowly with a smooth white stone he held in his hand. "Power is like poison…" he mused softly, his gaze locked on my face, the look curious and speculative at the same time, his eyes glinting in the waning light. "Administer it correctly, and you wield a great power… Use it incorrectly…" He shook his head. "And it will destroy. Think of me as your poison, vampire. If you do, it will go well for you."

I blanched back again, giving up all pretenses of animalistic ferocity and bravery, and turned away from him, drawing my legs up to my chest, wrapping my arms around them. I buried my face in my knees, body tense; feeling the most vulnerable I could ever remember being.

I was at the mercy of an unpredictable human.

Suddenly Walker's hands were on my shoulders. I raised my head.

"I must know your name," he said. "I can't just call you 'Vampire Girl'."

I tensed my body, unresponsive.

"Taaja."

He raised a brow. "Taaja? Just Taaja?"

"Taaja Hart."

Dammit. So this was the power of a blood bond. The one unfortunate enough to be on the lower end of the 'deal' had to obey every command the 'Master' made. Which was why blood bonds were so seldom. Which made blood bonds with the vampire as the servant, the human as master nearly non-existent.

"Hmmm. You may call me Walker. Just Walker, if you like."

I said nothing, hardly able even to breathe past the hard, painful lump in my throat. I glared down at my hands sullenly, clenching my fists. I hated this. Hatred was such a strong thing- strong poison that could have the potential to kill. But Walker was my poison now. Walker could kill me if he liked. Hell, he could tell me to drown myself and I would do it, whether I wanted to or not. Would he kill me like that?

I wouldn't care if he did, I decided. I would enjoy every second of my death if it meant the bond he'd created would be broken.

"Taaja?" Walker's voice was hesitant. I sensed him rise to his feet behind me. "Come. We must go now. I will speak with you as we walk." He reached down to grab my wrist, pulling me to my feet. I didn't have time to protest.

Suddenly a strange expression crossed his face as I looked at him, his eyes cast down to where his fingers grasped my hand.

"Your wrist…" he mumbled. "It's not… not broken."

Aha. I suppressed a grin, a hint of a small smile flickering across my lips.

"No," I said. "No, it's not."

He picked up my other hand gingerly, examining my wrist, still holding the other as well as if to compare them. I held still. He looked up at me in confusion.

"But I broke it," he told me, as if trying to assure me he had. "I broke one of your wrists. I felt the bone snap.

I nodded. "I felt it too."

Walker's grip on my forearms tightened. "And now it's healed."

I nodded again.

"Tell me why." His voice was curious, but demanding.

Well. If I couldn't control him, I might as well intimidate him with a taste of my own power.

"We heal abnormally quick," I said simply. "Human blood does wonders for our regeneration." He quickly dropped my wrists, stared at me for a moment, and then blinked.

"Ah… I see…" He cleared his throat, obviously wondering what he'd gotten himself into. "Well. Follow me, Taaja. Stay close. Don't want you to be running off. We need to find Vanya."

I recognized the name, an image of his female cohort flitting through my mind.

"Your companion," I said dryly.

"Yes." He began walking, and I followed him slowly, trailing him by a few feet. I did not recognize the forest around us as the place we had fought at previously, and therefore assumed he'd moved me sometime while I was unconscious, so we weren't in plain view to whoever happened to walk the trail we'd been on. I frowned. The nerve. No one had _ever_ handled me like that before. No one.

"So, Taaja. Tell me all about blood bonds. I want to know everything." Walker's voice was nonchalant, as if he treated the subject of my slavery with little concern.

I frowned, but replied. "I am bound to your service." I spoke monotonously, not at all happy in recalling the situation. "You control me by giving certain commands… They have to be spoken aloud as well as meant. If not, they will not take effect."

"Really?" He sounded interested. He turned slightly as he walked, motioning me to join him. "Come, walk beside me."

I complied.

He smiled, pleased with his newfound knowledge. "Tell me more. If I told you to believe that the sky was… hmm… brown, would you have to believe it?

I shook my head, furrowing my dark brows. "Sir, I do not know."

"Why?"

"I have never been in a blood bond before. Nor have I known any of my kind who has. I only know of legends."

He stopped. I paused beside him. He looked at me intently, serious now.

"Other vampires?"

"What about them?" It was my turn to be casual.

Suddenly he turned demanding. "Sit down."

I sat, glaring up at him defiantly. He seated himself across from me.

"I'm going to ask you several questions, Taaja," he told me. "All I want is a yes or a no. Understand? You don't have to go into detail if you choose not to. This is just to get of feel of what… _who_ I'm dealing with."

"Me?"

"Yes."

"Very well. Begin, then."

"Do you know other vampires?"

"Yes."

"When was the last time you saw or met with one?"

"I thought you said you wanted a yes or a-"

"Just answer it."

"Four months ago."

"Do you have a mate?"

I scowled. "No."

"You live alone, then?"

I nodded.

"Okay. How long have you lived alone?"

I paused, growing tense under his stare. "I don't know. Many years."

He blinked. "You don't know?"

"No. I don't."

"Do you know how old you are?"

I shook my head numbly.

"You look like you're around, eighteen, maybe-"

"We don't age nearly as fast as humans." My voice was hoarse.

There was a long pause before he spoke again.

"Were you born a vampire?"

"No," I whispered.

"Born human?"  
"Yes."

"You… had a family, then?"

I glared down at the forest floor, shredding a dead leaf in my fingers.

"Taaja? Did you?"

"Yes."

"Are they still alive?"

I crumpled another leaf with a squeeze of my hand, reducing it to a fine powder.

"Never mind, don't answer that. Were you… changed into a vampire?"

I nodded.

"Do you remember it?"

A soft hiss escaped unbidden from my mouth, but I cut it off, swallowing and nodding again.

"Do you know how you were changed?"

I cringed, but nodded.

"Do you remember who changed you?"

A slight, malicious smile flicked across my lips, and then vanished. "Yes."

"Are they… still… alive? In vampire terms?"

"No."

Walker looked nervous now. "Ah. Well… that's enough for now. Expect more later. Let's keep going."

Over then next fifteen minutes, Walker illustrated the basics of what he wished me to do.

Basically, he wanted to protect himself and his companions. Apparently he was the leader of a small group of thieves who preyed on wealthy towns, taking only what they could live off of. In one of their escapades, they chanced upon a prisoner held in one of the mansions they stole from- a young girl who turned out to be some sort of inhuman creature… a water sprit. Walker had left his band in the care of another member, and was returning the sprit creature back to her homeland, taking with him another companion- Vanya- along for the journey.

I listened to his story in stony silence, the pain of the conversation he'd forced me into still hovering at the edge of my mind. I wasn't used to such long speeches. The minimal time I spent around humans and their like had taken a considerable toll on what knowledge on them I'd had in the past years. I couldn't judge Walker how other humans would judge him- viewing him as either morally good or evil from a human perspective was beyond me now.

Of course _I _saw him as evil. He had stolen away my freedom. Already I could feel the sting of my loss, wearing away my patience as we walked. Finally the forest thinned, and we came upon the edge of it. There, nestled between the mountains of Tarabek, and the forest we were in, was a small village. The closest building to us was an inn, the shadow of the taller structure looming and stretching to where Walker and I stood in the cover of the trees. The passage of time made me wonder just how long I'd been unconscious in the woods before I'd woken up. For all I knew, it could be the same day, the next day, or a week later than I'd thought. I suppressed an angry hiss, my face twisting in anger.

"Stay here, Vampire," Walker said quietly. "Don't go anywhere, don't be seen or noticed, don't speak to anyone. I don't know how long I'll be. Right?"

I shrugged, and then nodded, hating every second I had to obey him.

He glanced at me once more, and then exited the cover of the trees, headed for the inn.

As soon as his back was turned, I sank to the ground, curling into a miserable heap in the protective veil of the shrubs that surrounded me in darkness.

I sighed wearily, mentally exhausted, closing my eyes.

I didn't intend to, but I fell asleep anyway, losing myself to the tormented dreams of a vampire.


	3. Chapter 3

Walker was excited. Nothing excited him, not in a good way, nowadays. He knew this excitement might wear off over time, and it would probably come at a price if it continued. He touched the two grooves in his neck the vampire had left, and winced; the skin was still tender and sore, though the majority of the abrasion had healed abnormally quickly. It had already come at a price.

Walker didn't know much about vampires. He only knew what stories and myths he'd been told as a child; stories of murders and mass killings, old wives tales he'd assumed to be the source of a scapegoat for ill fortune. But no…

Vampires were no myth.

He pushed open the door to the tavern, stepping inside quickly, shutting the door behind him, and looking around anxiously for Vanya. This was the place where they'd decided to meet if they'd been separated in these parts.

The tavern was relatively empty. Only a few farmers gathered for a late drink (probably unbeknownst to their wives) and some apparent travelers intending to stay the night were present. Vanya was seated at a table near the back of the tavern by the fireplace, a mug of ale clutched in her hands, a grim expression on her face. She hadn't seen him yet.

Walker approached her.

"Vanya."

She jumped, turning to face him quickly, and relief flooded her pale face.

"Oh my god, Walker… Where the hell have you been?"

Walker smiled.

"Damn it, Walker, you scared me… What _was_ that? Why did you-" She caught a glimpse of the marks on his neck, then fell silent.

"I got myself a pet vampire, Vanya," Walker said calmly.

She stared at him silently.

"Where's the creature?" Walker shifted the topic effortlessly.

"Upstairs. She won't speak to me. But she knows not to run away."

"Good. Come outside with me for a moment. I want you to meet someone."

"The vampire?" Vanya's voice was hesitant.

"Yes." Walker flipped a coin down on the table; payment for Vanya's drink, then beckoned her to follow him as he quickly left the tavern, glancing around to check if anyone watched them – no one- before heading towards the place where he'd left Taaja.

He spied her curled up on the ground, fast asleep, her long dark hair shielding her face from view.

"This is Taaja. She's actually quite charming."

Vanya stared down at her. "Somehow, I'm very tempted to think otherwise," she said dryly

"Oh? Why?"

"Judging from the way she attacked you, and the gashes in your neck that look suspiciously like fang marks, I wouldn't doubt that she has a mind to kill you."

Walker grinned. "Aye… you've got a point." Then he kicked the vampire roughly in the side "Wake up, now, creature."

Vanya took a step back as the vampire recoiled sharply, her eyes snapping open to stare, stricken, up at Walker and Vanya, her body trembling, ghastly pale.

"Now, Taaja," I want to make some things clear, here." Walker's voice was harsher now, brutal and commanding. "You may _never_ harm one of my companions unless otherwise instructed. The same goes for me. You have permission to capture- _not harm_- anyone who might try to harm us. You are our permanent scout. Don't kill unless they would try to kill us first. Understand?"

Vanya stared down at the vampire silently, watching as Taaja's eyes slowly glazed over, her alarm fading into indifferent silence. Vanya looked to Walker.

"If you're not going to cooperate, I have no choice but to use force. Tell me if you understand."

Taaja grimaced. "I understand," she said. Her voice was dull, toneless.

For some reason, Vanya felt chills shiver down her spine.

This time, Walker was toying with something bigger than himself, something- or rather, someone- that could kill him if it got out of hand.

Taaja was going to be trouble.

"I'm going to tame you," Walker growled. "Get up."

Taaja rose slowly to her feet.

"Walker, I'm not so sure this is a good idea…" Vanya started.

"Why?"  
"Well, it's cruel… she's not an animal…"

"Meaning?"

"You shouldn't order her around so harshly…"

Walker sighed exasperatedly as if his reply should have been obvious. "Vanya. She may not be an animal, but she sure as hell isn't human. She must do what I say. She cannot disobey. Watch." He stared down at Taaja, who stared back at him defiantly, mouth in a thin line, dark eyes hard. "Sit down."

She sank to the ground, averting her eyes from him.

"Move faster, Lay down."

She lay.

"On your back."

Taaja flipped over, and angry expression on her face, though she refused to look at him.

"Walker, stop." Vanya's voice was flat.

"Kneel at my feet."

Taaja obeyed wordlessly, head bowed. Vanya couldn't tell if she was embarrassed, angry or… crying. Her shoulders were trembling.

"See, Vanya? There is nothing she can do against my authority. It is either obey, or be punished." He bent down and brushed the dead, dried leaves that had caught in her hair away. Then he grabbed her chin and forced her head up. She refused to meet his gaze, eyes cast downwards.

"You are not a wild creature anymore. It may take you some time to realize that, but from now on… you are my property. Suddenly Taaja's eyes flicked up, meeting his. She smiled wickedly. "At least until you die."

Walker recoiled from her, drawing his hand away as if touching her stung him. He hesitated for a moment, and then cuffed her hard across the face, his face stony. Taaja made no sound, keeping still where the force of the blow had sent her to the ground.

Vanya stared on wordlessly, a sick feeling rising in her gut.

"Come, Vampire," Walker said tonelessly. "We'll stay at the inn tonight."

I got up slowly, but not until Walker and Vanya had turned their backs, heading back to the cursed building.

How I hated them. How I loathed them, wanted to wrap my fingers around their scrawny warm necks and suck every drop of blood from their pulsing living, human bodies… I would revel in their deaths, laugh at them as they begged for mercy, pleaded with me to spare their lives, smile wordlessly as they screamed in agony.

But I couldn't. As much as I wanted to, there was yet another hated force- the blood bond. There was no death or torture suitable to fit someone who had stolen my liberty.

I was determined to find a way out.

The inn, I realized, would quickly become a thing I would hate. Inns meant gathered forces of humans, a place where I couldn't allow myself to be discovered. I didn't know what Walker was trying to prove by bringing me there.

Before Walker, Vanya and I stepped inside the door of the inn, he turned to me.

"Behave yourself. Act human. Don't reveal what you are. Stay by my side and don't speak. If you do anything I deem against those orders, expect to be ordered to do something you won't like.

Then he led Vanya and I inside the inn.

I kept my expression blank, carefully controlled, but took in everything inside the main floor of the inn with detached interest.

It was dimly lit, with many wooden tables crammed into the space available, each furnished with chairs and benches. Near the back, there was a small fireplace. A few plush couches covered with ratty brown fabric circled it.

The inhabitants of this part of the inn themselves were shabby. The few of them that were there sat either alone or with a small group, drinking mugs of liquid- probably ale, or something stronger. Scraggily men, mostly. They looked up as the three of us entered, leering interestedly at Vanya and I, then sneered at Walker. It took all my self-control not to rip their throats out in a fraction of a second. Bloody humans. I suppressed a grim smile. I'd get them soon enough.

Take us to the room you rented," Walker murmured to Vanya, clearly ill at ease under the gazes of the people. Vanya nodded silently, turning towards the back of the inn, where I noticed a staircase leading up to the second floor.

Vanya started up them first, and Walker waited for me to go next, in order to sandwich me between them I placed my foot on the first step, then the second one, then froze, rooted to the spot.

Walker nearly ran into me. "Keep going." His voice was rough, but-

_-A cold draft of wind hit me in the face as I mounted the stairs, leaving the firm ground beneath me, trading it for suspended wood over empty air. My hands shaking, I gripped the handrail that was my only assurance of not falling backwards…_

A firm hand gripped my shoulder, steadying me. "Taaja?" Walker's voice was slightly alarmed now.

I realized I was still standing motionless on the stair of the inn.

A tremor ran through me, and I took a quick breath, spinning around, trying to flee.

Walker caught her arm and spun her back around, grabbing her shoulders roughly, turning her forcefully to face him, holding her firmly by the shoulders.

Her eyes startled him- they were wild, crazed like an animal's, but not fierce, as they had been when he'd fought her last night in the forest. They were very wide, terror filled.

"Taaja."

At the sound of her name, she strained against his grip, eyes unfocused, as if blind.

"Taaja, stop. Be still."

Her struggling ceased, but she shook violently. Walker glanced to Vanya, who looked on warily from the stop of the stairs. "Get her to the room. Hurry."

"In here."

Walker stepped inside, supporting Taaja with one arm. It was well for them that no one had seen what had happened in the stair well. Her face was a horribly gray pallor now. Was she sick? He saw a small straw pallet in one corner of the room and led Taaja to it as quickly as he could. She crumpled, and then curled up on it, shivering.

The room was cramped, having a small table, bed, and the pallet crammed into the small availability of space. A tiny window let rays of emerging moonlight into the room, which was otherwise unlighted, the kerosene lamp on the table untouched.

On the sill of the window sat a girl.

Slender in stature with long, pale blond hair and slanted blue eyes, she was gazing silently out the window into the night. She hadn't moved or turned to look since walker and Vanya had entered the room.

"Walker straightened to look at her.

"Lady," he said. "We are nearing the northern lands. Do you recognize anything you see?"

The girl said nothing.

Walker sighed as if in frustration, and seated himself on the bed next to Vanya.

Suddenly the girl stiffened, and turned, slipping gracefully off the sill. Her gaze darted towards Taaja, studying her critically, then her eyes narrowed into slits.

"I hope you know what that thing is," she murmured.


	4. Chapter 4

Damnation. It wasn't supposed to end up that way, but what could I do to prevent it? As I think back on what led up to the events that forced me to become one of the vampire kind, I search ardently for some kind of way I could have avoided it, even though I know there is no going back.

There is no hope for me.

"_Taaaaaaaaaja! Taaja?"_

_My little brother's voice broke into my drifting thoughts, calling me back from the realm of my daydreams._

_I was lying on a grassy riverbank, a small over cropping overlooking a calm stream, clear water lapping at the edges of the hard exterior of the banks. The river had not always been there- it had been a mine once, for limestone. The miners had made the quarry as a long, narrow path many years ago, hand then they'd extracted all the stone they'd needed, they flooded the canal they'd built to form a river. It was very beautiful, and served as a preferred swimming area for the local youth._

"_Taaaaaaaa-"_

"_Over here, Victor…" I called out exasperatedly._

_My little brother bounded over the hill behind me, our of the trees that separated my family's property from the river, and he ran towards me. At fourteen years, Victor was an energetic fellow, popular among the young girls in the village we lived in, his appearance striking with his glossy black hair and striking blue eyes._

"_Damn you, Taaj. I've been looking for you for hours…"_

"_D'you need something?" I yawned tiredly. Had I dozed off?_

_Victor flicked his hair away from his eyes, squinting in the bright sunlight that reflected off the clear water, and he sat down beside me, pulling up a handful of grass and twining it through his fingers._

"_No," he answered after a moment._

"_Does mama need something? Did she want to know where I was?" There was a hint of sarcasm in my voice._

_Vic laughed like I'd just told him a joke. "Does she ever? No… I just wanted someone to talk to."_

"_Oh." I sat up_

_Victor tugged on my long braid of dark hair, nearly black with red interlaced._

_I glared at him. "Stop it."_

"_Why do you wear your hair in braids all the time? You always complain you don't like the braids…"_

"_I don't like the braids."_

"_Then why do you wear it that way?"_

"_Mama wants me to."_

"_Why?"_

_I rolled my eyes. "Why all the questions?"_

_Vic frowned. "Why not? I said I wanted to talk to someone…"_

"_Usually you talk to all the girls in the village."_

_Now he made a face at me. "They don't' talk about interesting things very often."_

_I raised my eyebrows. "And talking about my hair is interesting to you?"_

"_No," Vic said plainly. "But it's better than Dalia describing the dress her mother ordered her for the fifth time this week." He smiled crookedly._

"_Mama just likes to spite me," I said. "That why she makes me wear my hair like this. Because she knows I like it best when it's down."_

"_Ah. Well…" he leaned a bit closer as if to share a secret. "Mama isn't around."_

_I blinked. "What?"_

"_Come on, Taaj… you know you want to let your hair down. And it's so long and pretty…"_

"_Vic, last time mama caught me with my hair down she got so angry…"_

"_It won't be for long… Come on, Taaja, I just want to see how long it is."_

_I stared at him. "Is this a trap?"_

"_Just take down your hair. Mama isn't going to find out, and neither is father."_

_It was such a simple act of defiance. My hair was long and beautiful, and I hated to wind it up in the mornings. I longed to wear it free and loose, if nothing else to annoy mama. So I tentatively grabbed the tight black ribbon that bout the braid at the ends of my hair._

"_That's it, keep going…" Vic's voice was gentle, persuasive. No wonder the girls liked him._

_I slowly began to unravel the braid, enjoying the feel of my soft hair brushing against my fingers. Victor watched me silently._

_Finally the loose, thick strands of my hair tumbled over my shoulders and down my back._

"_There, see?" Vic's voice was soft, but there was an underlying edge to it. "It's not so hard. You can't live under mama and father's influence forever. You're almost grown up. Mama won't be telling you how to wear your hair or how to behave yourself in front of important people, or how to curtsy when you away from here. Learn how to manage yourself now, or you never will."_

Victor had always been like that. He made you believe he was shallower than the grave of a criminal, and then he would do something like this- something abstract and irregular. He was like and old man from the village we both knew, handing out candy and advice at the same time.

Too bad I have no idea where he is now.


	5. Chapter 5

I fought the gradual swim into consciousness, knowing I would probably be greeted with Walker's wrath.

Instead I was met with a soft, yet dangerous female voice. Not Vanya's.

"You walk a dangerous road, vampire. A very dangerous road. And a thin one at that." The female sighed. Suddenly I became aware of a burning pain plaguing my hand.

My eyes flickered open, but took a long time to focus on my hazy, blurred surroundings. Disoriented, I found myself lying flat on a thin, hard pallet of straw in the corner of a small room, lit by weak sunlight filtering in through the window. A patch of it was sprawled across my hand. I jerked it away quickly, reducing the pain, I scrambled back into the corner behind me, cowering.

I hadn't been in an enclosed room since… I couldn't remember. I massaged my stinging hand, where the skin was red and chapped.

"Calm, calm…" the person said soothingly.

She was an extremely skinny, fragile thing, her blond hair falling in subtle waves down her back. I could see the outline of her ribs through her thin, light gray tunic, and her dark blue eyes wide, framed by thick white lashes. Her skin, like mine, was pale, but was tinged with an odd, bluish hue.

"Hello," she said softly, completely calm. This irritated me. "My name is Adelenia."

Just then Walker burst into the room, with Vanya close at his heels.

"Just keep in mind _why_ I keep you around," Walker was saying, sounding slightly angry. Vanya's face was stony.

Walker stopped short when he saw I was awake, and cowering in the corner with Adelenia hunched not far away. "What's this?" he asked tightly.

"She's just awoken," the girl said, rising slowly to stand her full height. She was a tiny creature, looking to only be about shoulder height to me.

"Has she?" Walker entered the room carefully, and placed a small brown sack he carried on the bed. "Well, then." He eyed me cautiously.

"Sir," Adelenia said tightly, "forgive me, but it's dangerous to-"

"Creature," Walker said irritably, "I know perfectly-"

"- a vampire in a town like this is extremely-"

Walker's eyes narrowed dangerously, his face dark. Adelenia bit her lip and took a step back, clenching her fists.

That was when I saw something that made me stop short.

The girl's hands… her fingers had very thin webbing between them, like the fins of a fish. I stared at her, my body stilling.

Then Adelenia shook her head angrily and sprang back to the windowsill, curling up and staring sullenly out the window, her forehead creased.

Walker sighed exasperatedly. "I need a drink," he said tiredly. "Vanya stay here and give them some food. I'll be back later."

Vanya stared helplessly as Walker left.

"I'm not hungry," Adelenia said immediately, aloof.

"I don't eat _food_," I said disgustedly.

Vanya sighed. "Fine."

And awkward silence filled the air. Vanya fidgeted nervously. I decided to break the silence.

"Vanya." I spoke her name.

She turned to look at me, startled.

"Walker is going to die," I whispered softly. "He is going to die. I'm going to find a way out, and I'm going to be free of him. And then I'm going to kill him."

Vanya blinked, and then looked away, swallowing hard. I could almost see her thought process. I could almost hear it. I could have laughed. "Walker made a mistake," she said numbly.

I nodded. "Yes. Yes he did. He's going to regret it."

"Shut up, silly creature," the being in the window snapped. "You're not helping any situation by making threats."

"They're not threats, frog girl," I snarled. "They're promises. I can make _you_ one, if you like."

Adelenia laughed bitterly. "Your kind are so spontaneous. But you rarely finish what you start." She slipped down off the window.

I leapt to my feet. "I'll finish _you_."

Vanya took a wary step towards us. "Hey, now, I don't think you-"

I turned on her, baring my teeth. She flinched back.

A pinprick of pain was suddenly at my neck. Adelenia held a small knife to the base of my skull; if its point entered my flesh, it would sever my spine. I rolled my eyes.

"Too afraid to spill your own watery blood" I challenged her.

"No," she said calmly. "I just don't want to bleed on the floor. Walker would be angry. Don't you think?"

I spat at her. This little hag was going to bother me. Hopefully we would be rid of her son. I turned cautiously to face her.

"Sorry, sweetheart," I smirked in her face. I was a good deal taller than her, and probably stronger, judging from her scrawny build. "I apologize for my rough behavior. I'm am sick and vile, and obviously not worthy of your presence. I'll be sure to make it up to you sometime. Consider that a promise."

Walker was frustrated. Actually, more like depressed. Complications were marring his fun. Taaja, for instance. Her presence would either be a liability, or an advantage. Right now, she looked like she would be a burden, and make every effort she could to remain so. He realized now the gravity of his decision. He would never be able to free her easily, even if he knew _how_ to free her. If he freed her now, she would probably – no, _surely_- kill him without a second thought. He thought of freeing her secretly, but decided against that as well. As soon as she figured out what had happened, she'd kill him anyway. If he freed her while she slept, and stole away quietly…

There was no guarantee on the safety of that, either. She would probably pursue him until she found him.

And then kill him.

Walker cursed silently, running his fingers around the ring of his mug before taking a long draught of the strong liquor.

Bloody hell.

He was stuck.

:

:

:

: A/N: Please review. Your thoughts are greatly appreciated! :)


	6. Chapter 6

It was midday, and raining.

Vanya was getting restless. Adelenia and I were seated as far from each other as possible, our minds filled with hostile thoughts about the other. But we were both comforted by the rain. Knowing Walker would be wanting to travel that day, I knew it would slow us, but I also knew the sun would have brought out some interesting complications. I could tell Adelenia liked the rain by the way she perked up when it had started.

She was so easy to read.

But she was as inhuman as I was, as sometime during our interaction, I'd realized she had been the water sprit Walker had mentioned while we'd traveled to this inn.

I chewed my lip thoughtfully. I'd never seen a water sprit myself until now… I snuck a glance at her. She was staring out the window still. Why couldn't she find her own way home? Why did-

The door opened, and Walker strode in, if a bit unsteady on his feet. I wrinkled my nose distastefully when the stench of what he'd consumed hit me. I had vague memories of my human father drinking such stuff, and hadn't been able to stand the smell of it since.

"All right," he drawled. "Let's get a move on, shall we?"

Vanya frowned, irritated, at Walker's slightly slurred talk, and I wondered whether or not he did this often. But what did it matter?

It mattered a lot, I realized grimly. If Walker was out of sorts, he could easily command me to do something he wouldn't otherwise force me to do. I swallowed hard.

Adelenia brushed past me roughly, and I realized I was the only one yet to leave the room. I took a glance towards the window, and immediately wanted to flee. I could move now, and escape, and take measured to ensure Walker would never find me. But I had no idea how far a distance a blood bond could act over. Something told me distance wasn't a factor. I sighed, defeated for the time being, and followed Adelenia out the door, dragging my feet like a pouting child.

I hated myself.

Two hours of walking found us on the other side of the Tarabek mountains and gazing up the side of a craggy hill that looked like a decrepit, failed clone of the mountain gone horribly wrong. It was too-small, for one thing, and because of the incessant dribbles of the rain that had gone on since dawn, I guessed, it looked like it had been hastily crafted by a child on a mountain of mud, with small streams of murky water snaking down from the hill's crest. There was a village perched atop it, looking lonely and miserable.

"Here's where your practice will begin, Taaja," Walker said suddenly. He stopped walking, then pointed up at the village.

"Go up there, and steal a loaf of bread. Doesn't matter whom from, just steal it. Don't kill, maim, or otherwise harm anything or anyone. It's best if you're not seen at all. If you are seen, say not a word, don't reveal what you are. We'll be waiting for you on the opposite side of the village. The northern side. Go."

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Vanya said, reluctantly watching Taaja enter the village as she, Walker, and the sullen sprit made their way around it.

"No," Walker replied casually. "But at least we'll see what she's made of."

Oh, hell. I hated myself even more. Walker was all-powerful.

The streets were virtually empty, not that there were any streets to speak of. Just ruts in the ground, like rude paths of deer in the forest, and they were overrun by mud and muck. I knew this would make it even more difficult to steal; the fewer suspects, the more likely the suspicious would fall on me if I should be seen.

The houses were poorly built- mostly clay mixed with grasses and straw, and I realized this 'village' was no more that a few scraggily houses clumped together. These people were practically beggars, but by the looks of it, those that they would beg from were just as poor as they. I wondered if Walker knew that. Since there was no apparent market, bakery, or even store for that matter, I decided I would have to steal from a home. I picked out one, near the edge of the gathering of huts, and crept up to the window, which was nothing more than a piece of oiled paper crudely attached to a square hole in the wall.

I could hear no voices inside, so I circled the hut to find the door; a ragged mat nailed like a curtain across the entrance. I slipped inside.

A small loaf of grainy bread rested on a small, crude wooden table on one side of the one-room home. Just waiting for me. I breathed a soft sigh of relief, and began to approach it.

There was a small gasp behind me. I turned quickly, half-crouching.

A young woman- her tattered dress threadbare- holding an infant in her arms stared at me, stricken, her eyes wide. I hesitated.

These people were penniless. That grainy lump of bread on the table was probably made out of seeds of grain this woman had probably gathered one by one on the hillside. How could I take it?

"Take it if you're hungry," the woman suddenly whispered fearfully, her voice holding a strange, clipped accent. She clutched at her baby. "I… Just don't hurt my child."

I staggered a step back.

Suddenly a mad a bit older than the young woman came through the door, his long blond hair soaked with rain, his face nearly blue with cold. He stared at me for a moment, then his eyes narrowed.

"What's going on here?" he asked in the same, choppy accent.

"It's nothing, she just-"

"Shuttup." He flicked his eyes to his wife, and then returned his gaze to me, taking a step forward. "Trying to steal, are we?" The man lunged forward and grabbed my arm, taking me by surprise. "You came to the wrong place, girl. Get out before I chop your hand off for tresspassin'."

I writhed out of his grip, breaking out of my shock and he cursed, grabbing for me again. I lashed out at him, hissing, my teeth bared, a hiss escaping like the shriek of a bobcat.

The man recoiled instantly, and I could almost hear the rush of blood as his heart began to pound.

The baby started to cry, and I flicked my eyes towards it, to the bread, then finally to the man. He made one last effort to grab me arm, but-

I didn't bite him. As he reached out towards me, I started to run, and his hand brushed across my face, catching somehow on my teeth. I felt the taste of coppery blood, heard the tearing of flesh, and I fled.

I didn't go very far. I think I was more afraid of Walker than the humans in the hut, but I couldn't steal from them. I couldn't… I didn't know why… I couldn't understand. The rush of compassion I'd felt when I saw the woman's child was… unexplainable. She had said with her eyes that she would rather have me steal her food than hurt her baby. But I hadn't intended to hurt the child. But how could she have known that? She couldn't have known. I had never known such instinctive compassion, not ever.

How could I go back to Walker without the bread? I couldn't. he would punish me. I went back to the cabin, and, not wanting to be seen, clambered up onto the thatched roof. I could hear voices arguing within, and when the fresh, rank smell of the man's blood reached my nostrils, I shuddered.

"What the hell was that?" The man's voice was coarse and angry. "How long was that thing there?"

"Not long. I think she just-"

"Have you ever seen that thing before?"

The baby was still crying. From fear? From the sight of me? From its father's voice? I wondered.

The woman's voice was shaky, but quiet, soothing. "Please, I need to bind your wound."

The man grunted in pain.

"I think she was just hungry…" the woman's voice was distant now. "Hold still. You're lucky this isn't deep…"

"If she was hungry, why did she come here?" He cursed again, but his voice was quieter. He was calming down. "Came to the wrong place," he said bitterly.

"Maybe she had nowhere else to go."

I tuned out their voices, curled up on their roof in the pouring rain.

The cold rain mingled with my cold tears.

"I don't know what to do with you. I really don't." Walker rubbed at his jaw disgustedly, pacing in circles around me where I sat miserably on a rock. The rain had stopped for the moment, but dark clouds still loomed threateningly nearby. I was freezing, but refused to show my discomfort. Vanya and Adelaide stood uncomfortably nearby, looking anywhere but Walker and I.

"What have you to say for yourself?" Walker demanded.

I stared sullenly off into the distance, blindly looking at the tall, evergreen trees that surrounded us. Their heady, pine scent filled the air thickly, and I breathed it in.

"Well? Speak."

"Those people needed that bread more than you ever will, Walker," I said quietly, my voice low.

"So? You disobeyed a direct order. In fact, you disobeyed _two_ direct orders. You revealed yourself to them."

"They had no idea what I was," I snapped. "They didn't-"

"That doesn't matter!" Walker sighed, and then turned on his heel towards Vanya and Adelenia. "Keep heading north. There's a spring up there. Find it and follow the stream. We'll catch up with you."

I watched them leave, my jaw set.

Walker waited until they were well out of sight. Then he turned to me and glowered. Finally he sat down.

Not again…

"How old were you when you were changed?"

"Nineteen."

"What was the name of the vampire who changed you?"

"There were two vampires present."

"Then both their names."

"Ancilla and Fernindad," I choked out.

"Did you have any siblings?"

"Just one."

"Sister or brother?"

"Brother."

"Name and age?"

"Victor. He was fifteen when I was… changed."

"Have you ever killed anyone, Taaja?"

I scowled at him. "Yes."

"How many people have you killed?"

"Many."

"Did you ever kill anyone while you were human?"

I looked away.

"Well?"

"Yes."

"On purpose?"

I hissed softly.

Walker shook his head, but went on with the next question. "Have you ever killed a vampire?"

I smiled. "Yes."

"How many?"  
"Two."

"How do you kill a vampire, Taaja?"

I looked up. Walker's eyes were focused on me, his expression deadly.

"Well?"

I stood up, teeth clenched, a sick feeling in my gut.

He rose to his feet as well. Though I was tall, he was taller still, and stood a good head above me.

"Don't move an inch, Taaja dear," he murmured quietly. He leaned close to me, his face inches from mine. "Tell me. Do vampires bleed? From what I can tell, no. Correct me if I am wrong."

"We… bleed only if… we drink more than necessary for our body." My voice shook.

"Ah. So flesh wounds are not an issue to be concerned with. So what is a vampire's weakness? How can you be sure a dead vampire is truly dead? Next time you disobey, Taaja, be prepared to give me your answer."

We found Vanya and Adelenia at the beginning of the spring. Or rather, what was left of it. Adelenia was hunched down over a weak pool of water that had gathered in a muddy puddle. A pile of rocks blocked the apparent stream from trickling out, even after the rainfall.

Vanya stood nearby.

"What's wrong?" Walked asked, as if forgetting me completely.

"The spring is capped," Vanya said uncertainly.

"Someone's done this on purpose," Adelenia said tightly.

Walked frowned, kicking slightly at the rocks. "Well? Maybe they had need to cap it."

Adelenia shook her head. "No. It was done out of spite. I recognize this water… I recognize its essence. We're nearing my homeland."

:

:

:

:A/N: Please review. :)


	7. Chapter 7

One year had passed since Victor had convinced me to unbraid my hair. And mother still hadn't caught me. Victor's words had set me thinking. But since then, he hadn't spoken to me like that yet.

Mama and Father were out of town visiting the nearby city of Anchalan on business. Father was going to invest in the building of a bank there, an investment that would bring him into the world of financial security, he said.

I couldn't understand what their obsession with riches was spurred by. But I knew that that same obsession had turned both Victor and I into slaves of mother's whims, for her fetish for perfectionism. I was to learn lather that this lust for riches would lead, not only to my everlasting damnation, but another's as well.

I had just let my hair loose, and it was blowing freely about my shoulders in thick, shiny dark waves in the hot summer winds. I bent down to pluck up a daisy, and then continued walking.

I was nearing one of my favorite places; a small clearing in the middle of the woods that surrounded the village, where millions of tiny white daisies scattered the ground, like a delicate white carpet among the tall, lush green grasses.

It had become somewhat of a ritual for me to come here, unravel my hair, and think.

Here, the trees bridged the gap that separated reality and fantasy. The smooth bark of the tall trees around this place was a deep, dark brown, glossy and saturated with sap that caught the light with sunshine glimmered through the canopy of leaves far above my head. The trunks split off into strong limbs and branches further upward, ideal for climbing if they weren't so high up. The leaves themselves were what created the bridge. They were not a deep green, like most leaves were, but a soft teal, getting lighter in color the higher they got, like the needles of a blue spruce tree. Their color blended with the sky, making the trees appear as if they were a part of the heavens.

I sank to my knees in the center of the circle of trees, my eyes turned upward.

A branch snapped behind me.

I spun around, startled.

"Taaja?"

I blinked. A tall boy stood on the outskirts of the clearing, obviously hesitant. He wore soft moccasins on his feet, and fitted black breeches. A long-sleeved tan shirt was halfway laced at his chest, baring the tan skin of his muscular chest. I recognized him immediately for his white-blond hair.

"Amery?"

He smiled. "I thought that was you." He began to make his way towards me, picking his way carefully through the grasses, purposefully making an effort not to trample any flowers. I noticed he carried a bow.

"What are you doing way out here?" he asked. He sat down next to me, setting his bow aside in the grass.

"Thinking. I take it you were hunting?"

He shook his head. "I was supposed to, but…" he trailed off and tilted his head to the side, staring at me intently.

I frowned. "What?"

He slowly lifted a hand and touched my hair.

I flushed scarlet, my heart fluttering.

"I've… never seen you with your hair down before," he said slowly. "I…" Suddenly he blushed as well.

"You mustn't tell my-" I started to tell him he couldn't tell my mother about it, but froze when he ran his fingers gently through my hair.

"When I saw you here, I thought you were an angel." His brow was creased. Abruptly, he picked a daisy from the ground and tucked it in my hair. I blinked. Suddenly he scrambled to his feet, picking up his bow.

"Stay right here," Amery said. "I need to get something I made for you. I'll be right back." He bent down, grabbed my chin and kissed my cheek quickly before bounding off out of sight.

It would be the last time I'd see him while I was still human.

As soon as he left, I was visited again.

I was still sitting numbly in the center of the clearing when the soft rustling of leaves broke the silence. It came from in front of me this time. I looked up.

A pale man stood there before me, not ten feet away in the shadow of a tree. He was very tall, thin, but muscled well, whipcord strong. He was dressed completely in black with a white undershirt in the manner of a fine gentleman, but all of his clothing was tight, as if it had been fitted exactly to the contours of his body. He looked elderly, at least, his hair was a silvery shade, but his face was wise and handsome, ageless. He stayed completely in the shadow. His narrow eyes glistened red.

I froze to the spot, no longer able to feel the warmth of the sunshine on my skin. Everything had gone cold. Suddenly the sun retreated behind the clouds. Shadows coated the meadow. The man walked towards me, silent, smiling. He paused in front of me, then bent down and snatched the flower from my hair in one blindingly fast motion. I jerked. His fingers had brushed my cheek- his touch was icy cold.

He turned around, and began to walk away, and relief flooded my body. But then he spoke over his shoulder, and all my fears came rushing back.

"I'll see you soon, Taaja Hart."


	8. Chapter 8

I woke up screaming.

Flailing about in the darkness, horrible shrieks erupting unbidden from my chest. Suddenly a hand clapped over my mouth, partially stifling me.

"For god's sake, Taaja, I thought vampires were supposed to be virtually silent!" Walker. "Damn you…"

Once I calmed down enough to be quiet, he pulled his hand away, muttering.

"S…. s… sorry, Master," I gasped out, trying to sit up and tame my shaking. What was this with sudden dreams of my past? It had never happened before… Something to do with recent interaction with humans?

Walker paused, and I could easily see his puzzled expression though there was no light. "Why did you call me that?" he asked sharply.

"What?"

Walker's voice was tight. "Master. You just called me master."

My eyes narrowed, but a slow smirk colored my lips. "Well? You are, aren't you?"

He muttered something unintelligible, shaking his head and turning away.

"Just don't do it again. Please."

Ha. He picked a strange time to try to be polite.

I couldn't go back to sleep. I knew I would dream again if I did, and I didn't want to go back.

Instead, I settled back against the cold stone wall behind me.

After Adelenia's little discovery of the spring, Walker had aptly announced that he was wearied from the day's events, and wanted to find somewhere to sleep for the night.

It turned out that the spring was at the mouth of a cave. I could tell Walker couldn't care less where they stayed, but Vanya was obviously a wee bit disdainful, to say the least.

We had nearly nothing with us, and Vanya and Walker had to bunch up extra clothes and jackets and use their small knap sacks to use as pillows and blankets. Adelenia and I had nothing of the sort, and we were left with the bare earthen floor of the cave.

It suited me. I didn't much care how Adelenia fared with the floor. I had fallen asleep instantly, exhausted from the strain of the day. Only to be awoken by a dream.

Banishing the thought from my mind, I peered around me. Walker was already settling back down under his jacket blanket. Despite the disturbance, Vanya was fast asleep not far from him. Adelenia was nowhere to be seen. I frowned. _Does Walker know she's gone?_

Waiting until Walker's breaths came slow and even, I slowly rose to my feet and crept out of the cave.

I found Adelenia at the blocked spring, quietly removing stone after stone from the pile of rocks that blocked it. There was obvious desperation in her movements. She hadn't noticed me yet. I squatted down to observe her quietly.

The pile of rocks she'd removed from the spring was much larger than those that still covered it. Yet it looked like the same amount of rocks that had covered it the first time I'd seen it. I winced, and then spoke.

"I don't think you ought to move any more of those rocks, Ade," I said quietly. She spun around. "In fact," I continued, "I think you ought to put all of those back." I gestured towards her mound of removed rocks.

She sniffled, and I saw she had watery-red eyes. Either she had been crying, was crying, or was about to.

"I know," she admitted. "You're right."

I blinked, surprised at her submission, and then watched as she piled the rocks back on. The blockade never seemed to change in size.

"Do you know what that is?" Adelenia asked me once she had finished, rubbing her nose.

"No," I confessed. "I've never seen anything like it.

"You seem very educated in that expertise," she said sourly.

"I've never been educated in that expertise," I retorted. "It's just instinct." My tone matched hers.

We sat in an uncomfortable silence.

"What is it about this spring that's so important?" I asked after a while. Surprisingly enough, I actually found myself somewhat curious.

"I recognize it, that's all," she said, looking away.

"If you recognize the place, couldn't you find your own way home from here?"

"I didn't say I recognized the place," she snapped irritably. "I recognize it… the water."

I contemplated this silently.

"I suppose…" She winced. "I suppose if you drank a person's blood once… you might recognize the taste if you drank it again. Is that true?"

I thought. "Yes… I suppose I might…" I said slowly.

"But then again, have you ever drank from the same person twice?"

"Not yet," I replied bitterly.

"I might guess you don't let your victims live. Do you suck them dry? Some vampires do…"  
I hissed warningly. She had ruined the careful friendship we'd constructed, and she knew it. We both knew. "I never kill who I drink from. At least I try…" I growled. "Why are _you _so knowledgeable about my kind?"

Adelenia shook her head, pushing herself to her feet. Without answering, she strode a short ways off, crossing her arms, then standing still, staring sullenly down at the earth.

I knew I wouldn't get anything more worth my time out of her tonight.

I went back into the cave and sank down to the ground, staring off into the darkness, waiting for the dawn to come.

Dawn came. And so did the sun.

Apparently the opening of the cave faced east, because when the sun rose, rays of deadly light came filtering into the cave, forcing me to cower further back into the recesses of the cave, so the sun couldn't reach me.

It was during that time that Walker awoke.

He was a bit disoriented at first, but regained his senses quickly. First, he checked to see if Vanya was still asleep; she was. He shook her lightly. She stirred. Next he spotted Adelenia asleep near the entrance. He frowned slightly; this was not where she'd settled down the night before. He shrugged it off. Next he looked for me. I could almost hear the flare of his heartbeat when he realized I was nowhere in his sight.

"Taaja?" he said aloud.

I sighed. "Here. In the dark."

His head swiveled towards me, and his eyes found my form in the shadows. He stood and approached me, coming to stand over me. I looked up at him from my crouch.

"Are you all right?" He seemed to have forgotten our argument the night before. I relaxed, and it must have been visible, because he smiled. One of the few times he'd ever done so in my presence.

I didn't return the smile.

"The sunlight," I said coolly, rising to my feet. "I shouldn't be exposed to it."

Walked tilted his head, his eyes following my movements.

"Ah. Why?"

I felt my eye twitch irritably, and I shifted, uncomfortable. "The sun was meant to shed light on nature. Make it visible." I spoke slowly, fighting off my hesitancy. I hated this. "Vampires… defy nature. We're not supposed to exist. We're exposed to the more… harmful effects of the sun. It burns. Like fire." I showed him my hand, still slightly blistered from where it had been exposed to the sun the previous morning at the inn. He took my hand and examined it for a moment, expressionless. Then he dropped my hand and looked at me, an eyebrow raised.

"Are you embarrassed by this?"

"What?" His question had caught me off guard.

He stared at me studiously for a moment, and then spoke. "You seem to have stopped boasting about your abilities," he said, "and have begun noticing more and more things about yourself. Chinks in the armor. You seem humiliated, almost. Is this true?"

I hesitated.

"Answer please."

"Yes," I said curtly.

"Don't be," he said. "You're really a very fascinating creature." He paused. "Come. Let's find a way to allow you to travel during the day."

:

:

:A/N: Thank you for reading my story! Please review.


	9. Chapter 9

We followed the dried up riverbed for several miles in broad daylight. Needless to say, I was extremely on edge.

I was wrapped head to toe in spare clothing. Literally, head to toe. Walker had pieced together all the cloth he could find, and fashioned a sort of makeshift outfit out of it. I recounted it in my mind as we walked.

"Take your tunic off."

"I beg your-"

"Just… do as I say. Trust me."

I obliged quickly, leaving me only in a tightly fitted leather shell that encircled only my upper torso and my arms to my elbows, leaving my stomach bare.

Walker raised his eyebrows at my supposedly strange underclothing, but said nothing. I glared at him anyway. He handed me two long strips of fabric, each crudely sewn to it to form a sort of handless gloves, one end of each glove was sewn up.

"These are for your arms. And hands. You won't be able to use your fingers."

I shrugged. "Your loss."

He paused for a moment. "And then for your ahm… torso… I have this…" He handed me another shirt to wear, probably his. It was fairly large on my body, but covered my skin enough to serve its purpose.

"And then your tunic goes over your head. You see through the slit in the front."

He meant the slit that had been made by his knife when he cut me.

It seemed like such a long time since I'd been enslaved, but it was less nights than I could fit on one hand. I cursed quietly. Walker looked at me oddly. I shook my head.

"It's going to be a long day," I said simply.

"We leave shortly."

"I'm not stepping out of the shadows until we do," I sad curtly.

"Fine."

The time to leave came too quickly.

Walker called my name from the mouth of the cave, and I emerged reluctantly. That had been nearly four hours ago.

The first hour had been complete hell. I could feel the sun beating furiously at the cloth that covered me, trying to find a way it. It knew I was there. It was too bright, through the gap in the shirt that was wrapped around my head and neck like a strange turban; I had to narrow my eyes to slits in order to not see a bright shining blur. It was painful. I wasn't used to such brightness. It was closing in, constricting me, choking and suppressing me. Like standing in a room with the walls closing in all around you. Claustrophobia. I stumbled along nearly blind, Walker usually staying close by as if to track my progress.

We followed the shallow riverbed the entire time, no sign of any water save for the lining of smooth rocks that signified water had been there previously, rushing along.

It was almost a bit eerie to see- it was like observing a death, a place where there had been life before. The corpses of little fish that hadn't swum fast enough to avoid the water shortage littered the muddy remains of the stream alongside the flies that desperately crawled over one another trying to consume them, and the occasional squatting toad wallowing in the leftover muck. The stench was horrible, even for me, and I was left wondering how Adelenia had reacted to the sight. I didn't bother to look and see for myself.

The traveling was extremely stressful overall, to say the least. Aside from the uncomfortable sight of the dead stream to out left, the sun was blisteringly bright and hot, providing a grim contrast to the overcast, chilly and wet weather the day before. I wondered why the stream hadn't been somewhat replenished by the rain from that day, but just looking around for a few moments gave me a quick answer.

The land around these parts just off the mountains was extremely dry, soaking up immediately whatever moisture it could get, trying up the rest of the land. It seemed odd to me that a river had been here in the first place. No wonder there weren't many trees- there wasn't enough fertile soil to sustain them. But the stream had provided some comfort- a sorely missed one at that, judging from the lineup of withered plants and shrubs that formed a funeral procession for the stream along its edge.

I think it was the most uncomfortable for me- I was swathed head to toe in mostly black and gray material, barely leaving any room for sight, so I stumbled quite a lot on the exposed, dried roots of the shrubs. And since I was unable to sweat, I had no way to be rid of excess heat. It was extremely undesirable. But what could I do? I could see -nor could I care- how the others fared, but little talk was passed around the majority of that day. Walker wasn't cruel to me, but he wasn't friendly, Vanya followed suit, and Adelenia ignored everyone. I wondered if she was the only reason for this trek of Walker's and if so, if she was grateful at all, little bitch.

As for me, more suffering was in my way already as the day wore on, and I began to already feel the sting of hunger. I hadn't had much of Walker's blood when he'd fed me before, but usually just a small amount of blood would sustain me for at least two days. But I actually didn't know how long I'd been in his service, and hardly a taste of blood was going to keep me at my best. As much as I hated it, I would have to ask Walker for permission to feed…

When the rest of the company stopped shortly for a small portion of food when the sun was directly overhead, I desperately sought shade, but there was none to be had. I sank to the ground and stared around miserably while the rest- even Adelenia- ate.

The lad changed further on north, I could see that. We would step out of the craggy grass landscape and virtually hit a steep wall of forbidding-looking foliage that led straight into a thickly grown forest, as if an invisible barrier had been built to separate the crags from the forest. The contrast was that sharp. If we could make it past the dead shrubbery that seemed to surround it, we would be inside the forest. Just one look at Adelenia told me what she was thinking – she had seen the upcoming landscapes as well, and know that were there were plants as large as that, there had to be water there as well.

And where there were plants, there would be shade there as well.

:

:

:A/N: Please review!


	10. Chapter 10

The foliage was even more formidable up close. But I couldn't wait to get through it- I had to get out of the sun. Exhaustion was creeping up on me, but I refused to give in to it. But the myriad of underbrush that blocked out way proved to be formidable. The stream had obviously gone underneath it all, but heavy brambles still surrounded it on either side. Vanya noted that the brush was thinner in other places away from the dead stream, but Walker blew her off, saying he preferred not to stray far from the stream.

I think Walker was as anxious to get through the thicket as I was. It was nearly sunset, late afternoon, and he probably wanted to get into the shelter of the forest before nightfall. I felt his concern; his nervousness radiated off him like swelling waves of the sea, but either the others just ignored it, or couldn't see it at all. I could tell Vanya and Walker weren't on best terms with each other at the current moment, but couldn't comprehend why.

Walker was inspecting the foliage at the moment, and kept glancing behind us as if he were worried we were being followed.

"We'll just have to get through somehow," Walker declared gruffly, running his fingers agitatedly through his dark hair. "But we'll have to leave it looking like no one was here, without denting the nature so we don't leave a bridge for someone to follow through."

Ah. So he was worried about being followed. And his fever was catching. Vanya looked nervous, and even Adelenia was jittery despite their tiredness. I just wanted to get out of the sun.

No one said anything, so Walker just shrugged and began pushing aside dried, gnarled branches. Adelinia went directly after him, and Vanya and I took up the rear. The dead brush was all twisted, knotted from years of growing in dense, tangled conditions. And the branches had thorns. Some dull and stubby, other long, thin and sharp, but all thorns nonetheless. We'd barely entered the thick growth when it happened.

I distinctly hear the tearing of flesh as a thorn ripped through Vanya's forearm. I couldn't stop myself even if I'd tried. I grabbed Vanya's shoulders, and then scrabbled at her face, by sharp nails digging into the skin of their shoulders. Red was the only color that registered in my eyes now, my instincts overriding all sense of stability and humanity.

Without thinking I leapt at her, and crashed into her with astonishing force. She lurched forward at the blow, running into Adelenia, and we all fell down to the ground.

"Hey!" it was Walker, sounding furious. I didn't care. I scratched at Vanya's face desperately, pinning her to the ground. My nails dug into her skin. Red blood glistened on her arm; it's scent agonizingly alluring after I'd gone days without feeding to the extent I'd needed. I went for her neck, towards the pulsing artery beneath her thin layer of skin, where rivers of blood hastened with the panicked beating of her heart.

The ground beneath us was composed of the fallen members of the dead branches that enclosed us, and our struggle had only increased the danger the others around me were in – the thorns had scratched them more in the frenzied rush.

Before I could sink my teeth into her skin, she managed to wrap her hands around my own throat, in a desperate attempt to push me back. I pressed down at her harder; her arms shook from the effort of holding me back.

Someone grabbed my hair and tried to yank me away. I snarled at the pain, but ignored it.

"Taaja, stop!" Walker was shouting. I turned on him, wrenching my neck from Vanya's grip, for he was the one who had grabbed my hair, and shoved him away, scraping his arm in the process. He reeled back under the force of my push, and more heady scents of blood filled the air. A wave of nausea washed through me, and I realized immediately what it was, though I'd never felt the likes of it before; the force of the blood bond, the result of Walker's ignored command. If that was the only result of disobedience, it would be easy to resist. I could just kill them all now and be rid of them.

The scents of blood now were almost overpowering, and I realized that not only Vanya and Walker were bleeding now because of the cuts from the thorns, but Adelenia as well, who I saw fleetingly huddled a few feet from the whirlwind of the battle, staring at me horrified. She must have been cut when Vanya ran into her and she fell. I'd kill her last, if she was still around when I finished off the other two. Nothing could stop me now. I turned back to Vanya, but she'd scrambled to her feet while I'd dealt with Walker. Another wave of nausea hit me, slowing my reflexes. Vanya grabbed my throat again and forcefully flung me backwards. I reeled back and I collided with someone who wrapped their arms around my torso, trapping my arms. I shrieked and struggled, writing, but Walker constricted his grasp just as a third wave of sickness hit me. I went limp.

Walker pushed me to the ground effortlessly, then leapt atop me, pinning me there, his hands pressing my wrists into the thorny ground. I started to thrash, but Walker hissed at me.

"Stop! Be still!"

The moment I tried to move, the nausea flowed through me, and I whimpered and fell still, painfully aware of the many thorns beneath me jabbing and sinking into my flesh.

Walker was breathing harshly, a slash in his cheek. He hovered over me, the shadow of his face blocking the sun's glare from mine. A droplet of blood spilled over the cut and splashed on my cheek, which I realized with a start, was bare- my sun guard had fallen off sometime during the scramble. I tensed, the smell of the blood rolling around me.

"Don't," Walker warned.

My body started to shake violently of its own accord.

Walker shifted slightly, and the sun hit me in the face through the thin branches of the dead hedges. I screeched at it pierced my face. I could almost hear the sun goddess Amery had once spoken to me of hissing in protest for shining upon me. I closed my eyes, forcing myself to swallow my scream, the pain making me arch my back.

The sun only hit me in irregular paths, the result of the web of thorns above me. It burned like fire! I thrashed wildly now, and Walker flipped my onto my stomach, my face pressing into the thorns and dirt beneath.

Walker yanked my wrists behind me and bound them with something scratchy, but strong.

"Expect to give an explanation of your behavior when we reach the woods," he groled in my ear. He pulled me to my feet. "No more of this, you understand? I don't want to even hear you _speak_ before we stop for the night."

He sounded furious.

He hauled me to my feet.

)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

We passed through the rest of the brush with less difficulty. Surprisingly enough, the brambles were mostly concentrated around the first edges of the forest, within the first few yards. After that, it left a nearly hollow pathway that more or less resembled a cage, reminding me of the interior of a tumbleweed.

I was thankful for this. The sun was excruciating where it touched me, only accentuating my thirst and anger alike. Rage boiled within me. Walker was rough with me, pushing me so harshly that I constantly stumbled, almost falling on the dry branches we trod on.

The forest began suddenly. Tall green trees abruptly loomed right in front of us.

Once inside the shaded woods, Walker cut my bonds and pushed me to the ground. I immediately ripped off my black shroud and pressed my body into the soft green mosses beneath me, savoring the cool dampness.

All that mattered now was that I was safe from the sun.

:

:

:A/N: Please review, it is much appreciated.


End file.
